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Hi have not heard anything - checked the website but nothing. Also would be very interesting to find the Olympic scherzo which Bortkiewicz sent to England for the Olympic games in 1948. Was it ever played? He said in his letters that it was going to be played and broadcast. Where is the score - somewhere in England? Strange it was never included at the Proms.
Best wishes
David

Hi Gareth
Many thanks for that advice - I didn't know. Also, a member has offered to send me the review - also much appreciated.
Best wishes
David

I am not sure if I am allowed to make this request on this site - but it is in the cause of an Unsung Composer! I am researching Bortkiewicz for my MA and I have read of a review (on the Amazon Website) of Lionel Salter's in Gramophone April 1965 where he reviews the Marjorie Mitchell recording of the Piano Concerto No 1. It is a negative review. Finding reviews on Bortkiewicz is difficult. I can't access this review online as I am not a subscriber to the Gramophone Archive - but I wondered whether any member has this review or could e-mail me a copy of the review. I have done other searches through the OU library and so on but I cannot locate the review. I would like to use it to show how the reception of Bortkiewicz's music has changed - how musicological thinking and general taste has also created a context for a more sympathetic reception of Mr B. I would be very grateful if anyone can help me in this matter.
Many thanks
David

Hi
I need everyone's help again. I am looking for the liner notes to the Ulla Graf recording of Bortkiewicz's works. I have the two pages which are made available on a search for them on the www but they are not the complete notes - they break off mid sentence. If anyone has the full notes and could e-mail them to me I would be very grateful. Many thanks. My MA on Bortkiewicz moves on apace. David

Dear Semloh
I would appreciate the liner notes very much - in English only if that makes things easier and it is not too much trouble for you. How do I go about it - do I send you my e-mail address or can you get it from this site?
Best wishes
David

Dear all
Does anyone have the liner notes to the Marjorie Mitchell recording of Bortkiewicz Piano Concerto No 1 which they could let me have? Perhaps these are only back cover notes so it may not be a possibility - but anything on this recording (particularly on the Bortkiewicz) would be useful.
Best wishes
David

Hi
Please can somebody help me. I have read somewhere, and I think it was on this forum, that Bortkiewicz's opera Akrobaten - though the score is at present lost - that there is a poor recording of the opera which was broadcast by one of the Austrian radio stations during Bortkiewicz's lifetime. I think someone has a copy of it. Can anyone enlighten me if this is so. I am dealing with radio broadcasts of Bortkiewicz's works during his lifetime and today. Knut Franke used to play his music in his programmes in Germany prior to 1972. What radio broadcasts are available today from German and Austrian radio? Also, it is interesting that the BBC Proms has never featured Bortkiewicz. He would also make a very interesting subject for Composer of the Week. I am going to suggest it. Many thanks if anyone can help. I know Malcolm Henbury-Ballan is on a mission to find that opera score!
Many Thanks
David

Hi Herbert
Many thanks for your response. The list is a little extreme in length for this site but I think the composers contained in it might be worth exploring. And many thanks for the source of the article. I will post the formal source shortly. I have access to OU's online resources so I must have got the article through them. I find the listing of Argentinian (South American composers) valuable. It always seems more of a heave discovering composers outside of the European/North American world. I have recently discovered Babadhjanian and other Armenian composers. Beautiful piano concertos. And a work called The Sea - but for the life of me can't think of the composer at the moment. I am away from my own computer at the moment but will flag it up soon. A lovely find. Also, it is true what you say about turn of the century composers and I am finding it very interesting looking at those who fell between the cracks of the Modernist onslaught. Even some of Schoenberg's earlier works betray the heritage he was kicking against. Vines must have been quite a force in his time. A brave stance to champion unknown composers knocking on the door. It is interesting to look through this list and see how many of these composers have become part of The Canon -  also, those that have not but are absolute gems - good hunting grounds for Unsung Composers.
Best wishes
David

Hi
In my studies I have come across an article which looks at the Ricardo Vines Piano Collection. It is a fascinating article. Within it is contained a selected list of piano music held by Vines - collected by him, dedicated to him or merely inscribed to him.  In the interests of this site it does list an abundance of composers who were at the cutting edge in their time, sent their work to Vines in the hope that it might be performed by him, but now lie almost forgotten. The list includes works by composers off the beaten track - as well as some by mainstream composers. But I think the document is a very good place to explore hidden gems waiting to be rediscovered. Copyright does not allow me to upload the article to multiple sites and forums but I am allowed to share the article via e-mail so if anyone would like the article I am very happy to share and sent via e-mail. Just let me know. I am not sure where I have downloaded this article from (I have had it for some time) but it is associated with the Music Library Association. I will investigate further. In the meantime I have extracted and attached a list of the composers represented in the Vines collection. Please let me know if this is helpful, relevant to this site and of interest as I may have other similar material which might be of interest. Moderator will you please make sure that I am within all legal copyright laws. Not sure if I am able to attach a word document to this post or how to go about it. Have searched the site for help. So..... at the risk of causing a headache I have attached the list to this post - gulp. Moderator please adjust as you feel necessary. Many thanks. David

COMPOSER INDEX TO THE RICARDO VIÑES PIANO MUSIC COLLECTION

The country indicated for each composer is that where he or she was most active, as opposed to country of birth. There may be some inaccuracies, questions etc. But the list could operate as a starting point for people interested in composers off the beaten track. There are more mainstream composers listed. These instances are where Vines was given copies of music by composers, or works were dedicated to him and other such instances. Very interesting.

Abbiate, Louis, 1866–1933, France
Aceves, Rafael, 1837–1876, Spain
Albéniz, Isaac, 1860–1909, Spain
Alkan, Valentin, 1813–1888, France
Allende, Pedro Humberto, 1885–1959, Chile
Allix, Paul, 1888–1960, France
Amani, Nikolai, 1872–1904, Russia
Arrieu, Claude, 1903–1990, France
Artance, Félix, fl. ca. 1900, France
Aubert, Louis, 1877–1968, France
Auric, Georges, 1899–1983, France
Auzende, Ange-Marie, 1850–1940, France
Bachelet, Alfred, 1864–1944, France
Bacio, Paolo, fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Balakirev, Mily Aleksey, 1837–1910, Russia
Barbillion, Jeanne, b. 1895, France
Barraine, Elsa, 1910–1999, France
Bartholoni, Jean, 1880–1937, France
Beck, Conrad, 1901–1989, Switzerland
Behr, Franz, 1837–1898, Germany
Bériot, Charles-Wilfrid, 1833–1914, France
Berlioz, Hector, 1803–1869, France
Bernard, Robert, 1900–1971, France
Bertelin, Albert, 1872–1951, France
Berthet, See François-Berthet
Bisetzka, M. A., fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Blancafort, Manuel, 1897–1987, Spain
Blumenfeld, Felix, 1863–1931, Russia
Blumenthal, Jacques, 1829–1908, England
Bondeville, Emmanuel, 1898–1987, France
Bonheur, Raymond, 1851–1939, France
Borchard, Adolphe, 1882–1967, France
Bordes, Charles, 1863–1909, France
Bordogni, Eugene Willent, fl. ca. 1860?, France?
Borodin, Aleksandr, 1833–1887, Russia
Bortkiewicz, Sergei, 1877–1952, Austria
Bourgault-Ducoudray, Louis, 1840–1910, France
Brahy, Amédée, fl. ca. 1915?, Belgium?
Bra˘iloiu, Constantin, 1893–1958, France
Brassin, Louis, 1840–1884, Belgium
Brayer, Jules de, fl. ca. 1905?, France?
Breteuil, François de, b. 1892, France
Bréville, Pierre de, 1861–1949, France
Brillouin, Jacques, fl. ca. 1930?, France?
Bringuet-Idiartborde, A., 1898–1971, Argentina
Brucken Fock, Gerard von, 1859–1935, Holland
Bruneau, Alfred, 1857–1934, France
Bunge, H., fl. ca. 1935?, England?
Caetani, Roffredo, 1871–1961, Italy
Canteloube, Joseph, 1879–1957, France
Carol-Bérard, 1881–1942, France
Cartey, Guido Anatolio, fl. ca. 1930?, Argentina?
Casella, Enrique Mario,1891–1948, Argentina
Casinière, Yves de la, b. 1887, France
Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Mario, 1895–1968, Italy
Castéra, René de, 1873–1955, France
Castillon, Alexis, Vicomte de, 1838–1873, France
Ceillier, Laurent, b. 1884, France
Cervantes, Ignacio, 1847–1905, Cuba
Chabrier, Emmanuel, 1841–1894, France
Chaminade, Cécile, 1857–1944, France
Chandelier, Albert, fl. ca. 1920?, France?
Chapuis, Auguste, 1858–1933, France
Chatillon, Ernest Jean, 1879–1947, France
Chaumont, Émile, 1878–1942, Belgium
Chevaillier, Lucien, 1883–1932, France
Chevillard, Camille, 1859–1923, France
Chimenti, Armando, 1881–1927, Argentina
Choisy, Frank Louis, b. 1872, Belgium
Chopin, Frédéric, 1810–1849, Poland
Chrétien, Hedwige, 1859–1944, France
Cluzeau-Mortet, Luis, 1889–1957, Uruguay
Coedès-Mongin, André, fl. ca. 1915?, France?
Collet, Henri, 1885–1951, France
Commette, Edouard, 1883–1967, France
Cortese, Luigi, 1899–1976, Italy
Costa, Luis, 1879–1960, Portugal
Cras, Jean, 1879–1932, France
Crocé-Spinelli, B., fl. ca. 1940?, France?
Curubeto Godoy, María Isabel, 1898–1959, Argentina
Cuvelard, Georges, France?
Czibulka, Alphons, 1842–1894, Hungary
Daïa, Michail Pierre, fl. ca. 1925?, Germany?
Daneau, Suzanne, 1901–1971, Belgium
Daniel-Lesur (Lesur, Daniel Jean Yves),
1908–2002, France
De Blanck, Hubert, 1856–1932, Cuba
Debussy, Claude, 1862–1918, France
Decreus, Camille, 1876–1939, France
Delacroix, Auguste, fl. ca. 1915?, France?
Delafosse, Léon, 1874–1955, France
Delage, Maurice, 1879–1961, France
Delmas, Marc, 1885–1931, France
Delune, Louis, 1876–1940, Belgium
Déré, Jean, 1886–1970, France
Dora, Jean, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Doret, Gustave, 1866–1943, Switzerland
Dortu, Willy, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Doyen, Albert, 1882–1935, France
Dubois, Théodore, 1837–1924, France
Duboscq, Claude, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Ducourau, Marta, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Dukas, Paul, 1865–1935, France
Dumas, Louis, 1877–1952, France
Dumoulin, Maxime, 1893–1972, France
Duparc, Henri, 1848–1933, France
Dupérier, Jean, b. 1886, Switzerland
Dupin, Paul, 1865–1949, France
Dupont, Auguste, 1827–1890, Belgium
Dupuis, Albert, 1877–1967, Belgium
Durand de Fontmagne, Marie-Caroline
Drummond de Melfort, Baronne, b. ca.
1840–d. after 1902, France
Durel, Jacques, fl. ca. 1920?, France?
Elie, Henri, fl. ca. 1915?, France?
Emmanuel, Maurice, 1862–1938, France
Enescu, George, 1881–1955, Romania
Erlanger, Frédéric, Baron d', 1868–1943, England
Excoffier, Lucien, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Falla, Manuel de, 1876–1946, Spain
Fauré, Gabriel, 1845–1924, France
Febvre-Longeray, Albert, fl. ca. 1930?, France?
Félix, Ch. Henri, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Février, Henry, 1875–1957, France
Flagny, Adhémar de, France?
Flagny, Lucien de, d. 1927, France
Foch, Dirk, 1886–1973, Holland
Fontova, Conrado Abelardo, 1865–1923, Argentina
Forte, Vicente, 1888–1966, Argentina
Fraguier, J. de, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Françaix, Alfred, b. 1880, France
Franck, César, 1822–1890, France
Francmesnil, Roger de, 1884–1921, France
Franco-Mendes, Hans, 1890–1951, Holland
François-Berthet, 1873–1956, France
Frey, Emil, 1889–1946, Switzerland
Friboulet, Georges, fl. ca. 1935?, France?
Fromaigeat, E., fl. ca. 1930?, France?
Fryer, Herbert, 1877–1957, England
Fumet, Dynam-Victor, 1867–1949, France
Gaillard, Marius François, 1900–1973, France
Gaito, Constantino, 1878–1945, Argentina
Gallon, Jean, 1878–1959, France
Gallon, Noël, 1891–1966, France
Ganz, Rudolf, 1877–1972, Switzerland
Gastoué, Amédée, 1873–1943, France
Gauthiez, Cécile, 1873–1846, France
Gédalge, André, 1856–1926, France
Georges, Alexandre, 1850–1938, France
Gevaert, François-Auguste, 1828–1908, Belgium
Ghys, Henry, 1839–1908, France
The Ricardo Vin˜es Piano Music Collection 397
Giró, Manuel, 1848–1916, Spain
Glinka, Mikhail, 1804–1857, Russia
Godard, Benjamin, 1849–1895, France
Godebski, Franz, fl. ca. 1900?, France
Godowsky, Leopold, 1870–1938, United States
Gols, Xavier, 1902–1938, Spain
Gomez Carrillo, Manuel, 1883–1968, Argentina
Goremyka, Iwan, pseudonym
Goué, Émile, 1904–1946, France
Gradstein, Alfred, 1904–1954, Poland
Grandjany, Marcel, 1891–1975, United States
Grosz, Wilhelm, 1894–1939, Austria
Grovlez, Gabriel, 1879–1944, France
Groz, Albert, b. 1873, France
Guillard, See Le Guillard
Guiraud, Georges, d. 1928, France
Harsányi, Tibor, 1898–1954, Hungary
Hennessy, Swan, 1866–1929, United States
Herard, Paul-Silva, fl. ca. 1930?, France?
Herberigs, Robert, 1886–1974, Belgium
Hermant, Pierre, fl. ca. 1915, France
Herscher-Clément, Jeanne, 1878–1941, France
Honegger, Arthur, 1892–1955, Switzerland
Hubeau, Jean, 1917–1992, France
Ibert, Jacques, 1890–1962, France
Ifukube, Akira, b. 1914, Japan
Illiashenko, André S., b. 1884, Russia
Imbert, Maurice, b. 1893, France
Indy, Vincent d', 1851–1931, France
Inghelbrecht, Désiré Émile, 1880–1965, France
Isamitt, Carlos, 1887–1974, Chile
Jacob, Maxime, 1906–1977, France
Jemain, J., fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Jongen, Joseph, 1873–1953, Belgium
Karpov, Mikhail, fl. ca. 1910?, Germany?
Ketterer, Eugène, 1831–1870, France
Kirchner, Theodor, 1823–1903, Germany
Koechlin, Charles, 1867–1950, France
Koennemann, Miloslaw, 1826–1890, Czechoslovakia
Konstantinoff, K., fl. ca. 1940?, France?
Kouguell, Arkadie, 1898–1985, United States
Krein, Yulian, 1913–1996, Russia
Kufferath, Hubert-Ferdinand, 1818–1896, Belgium
Kullman, Alfred, b. 1875, France
Kunc, Pierre, 1865–1941, France
Labey, Marcel, 1875–1968, France
Lacombe, Paul, 1837–1927, France
Ladmirault, Paul, 1877–1944, France
Lauber, Joseph, 1864–1952, Switzerland
Lazarus, Daniel, 1898–1964, France
Lazzari, Sylvio, 1857–1944, France
Le Guillard, Albert, 1887–1958, France
Lefebvre, Charles Edouard, 1843–1917, France
Lenormand, René, 1846–1932, France
Leschetizky, Theodor, 1830–1915, Poland
Lesur, See Daniel-Lesur
Lévy, Lazare, 1882–1964, France
Lourié, Arthur Vincent, 1891–1966, Russia
Luguet, E., fl. ca. 1940?, France?
Lutz, Henri, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Lwowsky, Cécilia, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Lyadov, Anatoly, 1855–1914, Russia
Lyapunov, Sergey, 1859–1924, Russia
Maikapar, Samuil, 1867–1938, Russia
Machado, Alberto José, 1881–1929, Argentina
Mackenzie de Dietz, Cathinka, France?
Magnard, Albéric, 1865–1914, France
Maigret, Ivan de, fl. ca. 1915?, France?
Maingueneau, Louis, 1884–1950, France?
Malengreau, Paul, 1887–1956, Belgium
Malipiero, Gian Francesco, 1882–1973, Italy
Mangue, M. L., fl. ca. 1920?, France?
Manziarly, Marcelle de, 1899–1989, France
Mariotte, Antoine, 1875–1944, France
Marot, André, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Marquès Puig, Antonio, 1897–1944, Spain
Marty, Georges, 1860–1908, France
Massa, Juan Bautista, 1885–1938, Argentina
Massana, Antoni, 1890–1966, Catalonia
Masson, Paul-Marie, 1882–1954, France
Melmeister, Julieff, fl. ca. 1927?, France?
Mendelssohn, Felix, 1809–1847, Germany
Meulemans, Arthur, 1884–1966, Belgium
Migot, Georges, 1891–1976, France
Milhaud, Darius, 1892–1974, France
Monnikendam, Marius, 1896–1997, Holland
Montet-Gary, Pierre, France?
Montfort, Robert, fl. ca. 1920?, France?
Morac, Charles, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Moreau, Léon, 1870–1946, France
Morpain, Joseph, 1873–1961, France
Moszkowski, Moritz, 1854–1925, Germany
Mottu, Alexandre, 1883–1943, Switzerland
Moulaert, Raymond, 1875–1962, Belgium
Moullé, Edouard, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Narici, Louis, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Nérini, Émile, 1882–1967, France
Noël, Marcel, 1857–1935, France
Nollet, E., fl. ca. 1915?, France?
Novák, Víteˇzslav, 1870–1949, Czechoslovakia
Odeyer, Ernest, fl. ca. 1865?, France?
Ollone, Max d', 1875–1959, France
Orban, Marcel, 1884–1958, France
Oswald, Henrique, 1852–1931, Brazil
Pallemaerts, Edmondo, 1867–1945, Argentina
Pâque, Désiré, 1867–1939, Belgium
Parent, Armand, 1863–1934, Belgium
Pascal, André, b. 1894, France
Passianoff, G., fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Paulin, Gaston, d. 1921, France
Paur, Emil, 1855–1932, Austria
Perkowski, Piotr, 1901–1990, Poland
Perrachio, Luigi, 1883–1966, Italy
Perrin, Édouard, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Pesse, Maurice, 1881–1943, France
Peters, Rudolf, 1902–1962, Germany
Pfeiffer, Hubert, 1891–1932, Germany
Philip, Achille, 1878–1959, France
Philipp, Isidore, 1863–1958, France
Pierné, Gabriel, 1863–1937, France
Pijper, Willem, 1894–1947, Holland
Piriou, Adolphe, 1878–1964, France
Plé, Simone, 1897–1985, France
Poldowski [Lady Irène Dean Paul, née
Wieniawska], 1879–1932, Poland
Polignac, Armande de, 1876–1962, France
Poniridy, Georges, 1892–1982, Greece
Pons, Charles, 1870–1957, France
Poueigh, Jean, 1876–1958, France
Pouishnov, Lev, 1891–1959, England
Poulenc, Francis, 1899–1963, France
Provazník, Anatol, 1887–1950, Czechoslovakia
Rabaud, Henri, 1873–1949, France
Rachmaninoff, Sergey, 1873–1943, Russia
Raff, Joachim, 1822–1882, Germany
Ravel, Maurice, 1875–1937, France
Reger, Max, 1873–1916, Germany
Reitlinger, A., fl. ca. 1910?, France?
René, Charles, 1863–1935, France
Reuchsel, Amédée, 1875–1931, France
Rey-Andreu, Étienne, b. 1875, France
Rhené-Baton, 1879–1940, France
Ritas, George, fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Ritter, Théodore, 1841–1886, France
Robert, Clément, 1886–1941, France
Robert, Jean, 1908–1981, Holland
Roesgen-Champion, Marguerite, 1894– 1976, Switzerland
Roger-Ducasse, Jean, 1873–1954, France
Rogowski, Ludomir Michal-, 1881–1954, Poland
Rohozinski, Ladislas de, 1886–1938, France
Rojoux, Charles, fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Romanette, Jean, 1905–1935, France
Ropartz, Joseph Guy, 1864–1955, France
Rose, Alfred, 1902–1975, Canada
Rosenthal, Manuel, 1904–2003, France
Rosenthal, Moriz, 1862–1946, Poland
Royer, Etienne, 1882–1928, France
Rubinstein, Anton, 1829–1894, Russia
Rufino, Abel, fl. ca. 1925?, Argentina?
Saint-Quentin, G. de, fl. ca. 1890?, France?
Saint-Saëns, Camille, 1835–1921, France
Saminsky, Lazare, 1882–1959, United States
Samuel-Rousseau, Marcel, 1882–1955, France
Sapelnikov, Vassily, 1867–1941, Russia
Sauguet, Henri, 1901–1989, France
Schencke, Gustave, France?
Schirlé, M. I. A., fl. ca. 1930?, France?
Schmitt, Florent, 1870–1958, France
Schulhoff, Julius, 1825–1898, Germany
Schütt, Eduard, 1856–1933, Austria
Sciortino, Édouard, 1893–1979, France
Séroux, Maurice de, fl. ca. 1925?, France?
Sevadjian, V. S., fl. ca. 1905?, France?
Shcherbachev, Nikolai Vladimir, fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Siefert, E. B., fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Soderini, Domingo, b. 1887, Argentina
Spindler, Fritz, 1817–1905, Germany
Spohr, Louis, 1784–1859, Germany
Sporck, Georges, 1870–1943, France
Staub, Victor, 1872–1953, France
Steck, Francisco, 1887–1965, Belgium
Stenger, Charles, France?
Stierlin-Vallon, Henri, 1887–1952, Switzerland
Straus, Erwin, 1910–1966, Germany
Strohl, Rita, fl. ca. 1900?, France?
Suk, Josef, 1874–1935, Czechoslovakia
Szal-owski, Antoni, 1907–1973, Poland
Szántó, Theodor, 1877–1934, Hungary
Taneev, See Taneyev
Taneyev, Aleksander, 1850–1918, Russia
Tansman, Alexandre, 1897–1986, France
Tausig, Carl, 1841–1871, Poland
Tcherepnin, Alexander, 1899–1977, Russia
Thalberg, Sigismond, 1812–1871, Germany
Thirion, Louis, 1879–1966, France
Tomasi, Henri, 1901–1971, France
Trépard, Emile, b. 1870, France
Troiani, Cayetano (Gaetano), 1873–1942, Argentina
Troisi, Clelia Hebe, fl. ca. 1930?, Argentina?
Turina, Joaquín, 1882–1949, Spain
Vaillant, Henry, fl. ca. 1895?, France?
Vellones, Pierre, 1889–1939, France
Verley, Albert, France?
Verneuil, Raoul de, b. 1899, Peru
Vianna da Motta, José, 1868–1948, Portugal
Vierne, Louis, 1870–1937, France
Vieuxtemps, Lucien, 1828–1901, Belgium
Villa, Ricardo, 1877–1935, Spain
The Ricardo Vin˜es Piano Music Collection 399
Villa-Lobos, Heitor, 1887–1959, Brazil
Villar, Rogelio del, 1875–1937, Spain
Viñes, Ricardo, 1875–1943, Spain
Voormolen, Alexander, 1895–1980, Holland
Vuataz, Roger, 1898–1988, Switzerland
Vuillemin, Louis, 1879–1929, France
Wachtmeister, Axel Raoul, 1865–1947, Sweden
Waterman, Adolf, b. 1886, Germany
Weksler, S. H., fl. ca. 1915?, France?
Welsch, Henri, fl. ca. 1910?, France?
Widor, Charles-Marie, 1844–1937, France
Wiéner, Jean, 1896–1982, France
Williams, Alberto, 1862–1952, Argentina
Williams, Irma, fl. ca. 1920?, Argentina
Witkowski, Georges, 1867–1943, France
Wolff, Edward, 1816–1880, Poland
Woollett, Henry, 1864–1936, France
Wurmser, Lucien, 1877–1967, France
Yzelen, D. fl. ca. 1920?, France?

Hi - yes agree with your comments. Interestingly, in my search for things Bortkiewicz I decided to look and see if he has ever featured at the Proms - and of course he hasn't. I am  going to contact the BBC Proms and suggest perhaps the Piano Concertos for a future hearing. Any of them, No 2 for instance, would be quite a lovely thing to hear played by Benjamin Grosvenor. Played by someone young, talented, with integrity and with a great following it would do wonders for Bortkiewicz's profile. Perhaps I should try and e-mail Benjamin Grosvenor too. He is an interesting pianist. I have heard him in recital - it was a very accomplished one - and most of the pieces found their way onto his cd Dances. What is interesting about him is that he searches out repertoire off the beaten track. He presents you with lovely surprises - e.g. the Scarlatti sonatas on his latest cd.
Best wishes
David

Many thanks Alan for your welcome. It is a very interesting site - I have visited before - but my interest in 19th C and 20th C composers is growing - particularly composers for the piano repertoire - so thought I would join and make a contribution if I can. Also, I have come across a rare LP of Bortkiewicz's works by Ulla Graf. I think it is still only available on LP but somewhere at the back of my mind I seem to think I have seen that there has been a reissue on CD. Would be interesting to hear as it was recorded in the 70's when Bortkiewicz had completely slipped off the radar. Also, the Mitchell recording of the Piano Concerto No 1 - I think this is a truncated version with some rearranging going on. Need to check the score but I am sure this is so.
In the meantime - pressing on with things Bortkiewicz.
Also, whenever I post something do I have to retype the letters each time (sometimes they are very difficult to make out) and answer all the questions. Second time it has happened so just need to know if this is the customary procedure.
David

Hi Just to say that I thoroughly enjoy Bortkiewicz's music and have managed to get the score for the 2nd piano sonata and I am learning that. Also just to flag up - but I am sure that everyone is probably aware of it - that Vlaeva's performance of the second and third movement is on You Tube. I can't find the First movement. Interesting to see her play it. I am in my final year of an MA which I am basing on Bortkiewicz so anything on the man and his music that could be useful will be gratefully acknowledged. There is so little info on him (got his Recollections) so am collecting stuff.
Best wishes to all
David